Many types of dc-to-dc converters are known in the art for converting a first dc voltage to a second, regulated dc voltage. Typically, the dc input voltage is converted to an ac voltage (or dc pulses) by a switching transistor or transistors. The ac voltage is then converted to a regulated dc output voltage. Feedback of the output voltage may be used to control the duty cycle or the frequency of the ac voltage to achieve the desired voltage regulation.
Switching converters are known to have a higher efficiency than other types of dc power supplies, such as series-regulated power supplies. However, the efficiency of switching converters is limited by losses in the switching transistor(s) during turn-on and turn-off, particularly in pulse-width modulated (PWM) converters. In addition, the switching transistor(s) must simultaneously withstand high current and high voltage during both turn-on and turn-off.
A goal of converter design is to reduce the transistor losses which degrade circuit efficiency and increase the cost of the converter.
Another goal of converter design is to reduce the size and weight. One proposed method of reducing the size and weight of the converter, while beneficially increasing the response time, is to increase the converter switching frequency. By increasing the switching frequency, a converter having smaller size, low weight, and faster response times can be obtained. The size and weight are decreased because the passive components required for operation at high frequency are smaller. However, the higher frequency switching aggravates transistor losses and degrades efficiency.
Switching devices normally utilized in switching power supplies are bipolar transistors, thyristors or field effect transistors. Although these devices may be modeled as ideal switches, it is well known that a more accurate model includes the parasitic effects of the device. These parasitic components include diodes and capacitors whose effect on circuit operation may be minimized or ignored by proper design of the switching devices. Conversely, again by proper device selection or design, certain parasitic effects may be enhanced and beneficially employed in the operation of the circuit. Physical transformers also include non-ideal parasitic elements which may be beneficially employed by proper design of the transformer and the switching circuit.
The combination of an inductive as well as a transformer element of a power converter on a single core structure is referred to as magnetic integration. The consolidated magnetic system, if integrated properly, has many of the desired characteristics of the original converter circuit. In many instances, magnetic integration will also produce a converter arrangement which achieves reduced stress on semiconductors. Various integrated magnetic power converter circuits and systems have been suggested in which multiple windings and circuit elements are required.
A need has thus arisen for a power converter using integrated magnetics having reduced manufacturing expense, size, and weight and which utilizes the parasitic capacitances of the switching devices of a switching circuit. By utilizing the parasitic capacitances of the switching devices, and the parasitic instructions of the magnetics, the efficiency can be improved and many of the discrete components of a switching converter which contribute to its size, weight and cost can be eliminated.